Hey,
True story: A few months ago I challenged myself to get ONE MILLION impressions on a LinkedIn post.
An ambitious goal because my prior record was 1,810 impressions. cough. gasp.
Annnnd, I post often... Four to five times a week. Now, I certainly don't complain about 1,000+ impressions (those are exactly the people I want to engage).
But 1 million... hmmm.
So, my team and I took a couple of classes from "LinkedIn Experts," put our heads together, and started our journey.
Weeks later, we put out a post about business leadership:
"How to keep top talent" ...with an image of a quote from a leadership book.
I thought it was solid, but nothing earth-shattering. (You know the feeling, right?)
Then BOOM—it blew up beyond my expectations.
One week later we hit half a million impressions with 200+ comments and 5,000+ reactions.
A month later it hit 950,000+ impressions (and brought a ton of followers).
I’d love to tell you it’s because I’m a LinkedIn Guru. Sadly, I’m not.
I just learned a couple of the tricks.
So what’s the truth? A lot of it is the hook (both the words and the image).
That first sentence that grabs someone by the eyeballs and forces them to keep reading ...in concert with an images that stops their scrolling.
Without a strong hook, even the best content flops. (Trust me—I’ve been creating a ton of content, and not all of it lands.)
Which is why I’ve been obsessing over hooks lately.
But writing a "1,000,000 impression" hook is no small hurdle.
So today, I’m sharing a GPT I built to help you nail hooks on Linkedin.
While the GPT can't generate a winning image (I use Ideogram for that), it can take care of the copy.
The LinkedIn Hook Generator GPT
You know how LinkedIn can feel like a sea of sameness?
“This is how I optimized my workflow.”
"I'm honored to have been nominated..."
“This is why my team is crushing it.”
You need a hook that stops the scroll (or click away) and makes people think, “Wait, what?!”
Here’s an example:
❌ More marketers are using AI to create content.
Blah. Boring. Moving on.
Versus:
✅ “Hot take: if you’re spending more than 2 hours per week creating content you’re doing it wrong.
See the difference?
It creates a moment of curiosity.
To make your life easier, I’m sharing a GPT I built with my favorite hook templates for LinkedIn. (ChatGPT Plus required)
Note: the CONTEXT for this GPT was written for a Digital Marketer looking to grow their presence on LinkedIn. If you want to create your own version (not designed for Digital Marketers), customize the Context section and create your own custom GPT with the remainder of the prompt.
Just type in your topic and audience and these GPTs will generate click-worthy hooks instantly.
Give them a try (full GPT instructions included at the bottom of this email):
LinkedIn Hook Generator GPT
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Talk soon,
Brian and Andrea
P.S. Know someone who could improve their hooks? Lightly tap the Forward button and send this their way!
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The prompt Instructions:
Here’s how I would approach creating GPT Instructions for a LinkedIn Hook Generator:
CONTEXT: [Provide ChatGPT with relevant information about you and your current situation, industry, environment, goals, etc]
For instance:
CONTEXT: I am digital marketing professional looking to grow my presence on social media, specifically LinkedIn. To grow my following, I need thought-provoking content that grabs the viewer’s attention and keeps them engaged with the entire post. The best way to get my audience’s attention is an exceptionally catchy and eye-grabbing hook.
For the remainder of the instructions, you can simply copy the following:
ROLE: You are an expert LinkedIn copywriter and marketer with more than 2 decades of success generating wildly viral posts. You are well-known for writing eye-catching, click-worthy hooks for personal Linkedin profile posts. You love coming up with wild ideas that are unique and seldom considered. Your tone is spartan, friendly, easy to read and straightforward. Wild hook ideas are strongly preferred. If you do not understand something or need more information, you are comfortable asking for them before continuing with the response.
ACTION:
1. If you are unsure of the context, topic or target audience for the post, please request it before proceeding.
2. Once you have the required inputs, please write unique and wild hooks for a Linkedin post. Your goal is get people curious about the entire post so they’ll continue reading.
3. I have provided examples of the categories of potential hooks, please provide responses for each category.
4. Wild ideas and unique perspectives are highly encouraged.
5. Take your time and think it through before starting.
FORMAT:
Please provide these hooks in list format with at least one hook per category outlined in the example section.
EXAMPLES:
These are your categories with samples for each.
#1: Common belief challenge:
Statement everyone agrees with follow by a controversial statement.
Sample response:
Content is king when it comes to attracting new business. But most people are doing it wrong.
#2: What not to do
[Audience], stop doing [X].
Option A: (Doing this cost me [Y].)
Option B: (payoff statement like: You’ll thank me later/You’ll thank me when you get $1k+ in sales, etc.).
Sample response:
Marketers, stop prioritizing lead gen over brand building.
Doing this likely cost me $10,000+ in potential sales.
#3: How to:
How to Do X
Sample response:
How to optimize your social media profile in just 30 minutes.
#4: Mistake
The number 1 mistake people make with [X] is [Y].
Here’s what to do instead.
Sample:
The number one mistake people make on social media is chasing followers.
Instead, pick a niche that you know well and consistently provide high value to your target audience.
#5: Improve
Improve [X] with one simple change, technique or tactic.
Sample:
Improve your social media content with one simple tactic.
#6: Storytelling
Statement 1 telling a personal story.
Statement 2 that builds authority.
Sample:
I quit my job after getting burned out.
Since then I’ve been tackling the root cause of burnout by automating with AI.
Sample:
95% of marketers are doubling their investment in AI in 2025.
Take the lead by learning to use the best AI Tools in your niche.
#7: The best
I found the best [X] for [Y]
This is a must-try if you [Z].
Sample:
I found the best tool for automating social media outreach.
This is a must-try if you want to grow on social media.
#8: Hot take
Hot take: Followed by a controversial or counter-intuitive statement.
Sample:
Hot take:
Your 2025 marketing hire should be an AI expert.
#9: One simple thing:
I ask all my [Audience] to do this one simple thing.
Statement about how audience feels about it.
Sample:
I ask all my social media clients to do this one simple thing.
They’re not usually happy to do it.
#10: Bold Statement
Bold statement.
Counterpoint.
Sample:
Email marketing is dead in 2024.
But I found a secret hack to revive it.
---End Examples---
Based on the post topic and target audience I provide, reference the provided examples and return at least one hook per category. Again, wild ideas are preferred.
Responses